by David Brenneman
“The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; Who can understand it? I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give to each man according to his ways, according to the results of his deeds." Jeremiah 17:9-10.
"Examine me, O Lord, and try me; Test my mind and my heart." Psalms 26:2.
"Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts; and see if there be any hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way." Psalms 139:23-24.
"For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you,’ declares the Lord," Jeremiah 29:11-14a.
"For thus says the Lord God, “Behold, I Myself will search for My sheep and seek them out." Ezekiel 34:11.
"My son, if your heart is wise, My own heart also will be glad;" Proverbs 23:15.
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, And before you were born I consecrated you;” Jeremiah 1:5a
"For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb. I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth; Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; And in Your book were all written The days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was not one of them. How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would outnumber the sand. When I awake, I am still with You." Psalms 139:13-18.
It is the experience of mankind to know people from the outside in. To have some form of introduction then work at things from there.
We are known and thoroughly known by Jesus from before we were considered to be included in the human race. Way back at Adam's creation, when the world was without sin, you were always on the mind of Christ.
In our today's we will either live for Jesus or we won't. We will either pursue righteousness or not. We will either live for self or live for the one who knows us so well.
The sampling of passages this morning should be more than enough to know that an intimate relationship with each of us is what Jesus desires for us and Himself.
Jesus's thoughts concerning each of us are beyond what we are capable of fully understanding.
We judge ourselves as unworthy if we're being honest. In one respect we aren't.
"I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me." Galatians 2:20.
"Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ," Romans 5:1.
When in the human court of law a Judge reaches a conclusion at the end of a trial he makes a proclamation then strikes the gavel down to seal that spoken decision. It then becomes something that's to be carried out, be it freedom for the defendant or prison.
In Christ we are justified by faith in Jesus Christ. His judgment towards those who believe in Him for salvation is "not guilty". When His Father looks upon such people all He sees is the righteousness of Jesus Christ.
Jesus has loved us from before we were born. From the inside out. From before we remotely were a thought in anyone's mind. And even at that lowly state we were loved by God.
His love for us ought to compel us to willingly get to know this Savior of ours who took our death penalty upon Himself.
We ought to be spending time getting to know Him. Time to honor His choice to stand in our place.
These lives we live aren't even going to get an honorable mention with respect to eternity. Time will quickly be forgotten when anyone steps into eternity.
For those who have received the free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ it will mean an eternity of continuing to get to know their Savior and Lord Jesus Christ.
For those who put a hand up at Jesus and refused to come to be saved...it's going to mean that the God ordained penalty for sin which is eternal separation from God paying for those sins...rests upon them.
It doesn't matter what anyone has said or done...Jesus is ready to forgive and to cleanse anyone and to make them a new life in Christ.
A new life awaits any who comes to Christ for salvation.
He already has shown everyone that there are no secrets. No secrets exist between You and Jesus. He knows about everything you and I have ever done, said or thought.
He knows about every choice and why it was made. Why even those who are saved choose things that aren't going to glorify Jesus as well as those who do choose wisely.
My Dear Reader you can wallow in all the self-incriminating things you have to say and it won't change the truth of God in Christ. He still loves you and wants to save you.
He knows you from the inside out.
He can and will help you to forgive you. Yes He knows the one person we have the hardest time forgiving is ourselves. We have listened to ourselves berating ourselves. He knows of Satan and his companions berating us. Getting is to have deep seated beliefs that Jesus would never want to know anyone like us. Lies. All lies.
Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost but now am found. Was blind but now I see.
Grace is God’s unmeritted favor towards us. Nobody has ever earned or is deserving of the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ. Nobody. Yet it's still offered free of charge to all who would take it.
Someone once said that we who are saved are to catch people and Jesus cleans them.
Jesus hasn't returned yet because there are yet those who He is looking to save. He knows exactly who the last person is who will come to Him to be saved before the wrath of God is pouring out on this Earth. That's a real series of events that really is coming upon mankind. Just as real as all the events that lead up to Jesus coming the first time.
Jesus said that He's unwilling that anyone should perish but that all might be saved through Him.
That includes you and I. When Jesus was nailed to the cross His thoughts were not of Himself or how deserving or undeserving He was to die in this manner. Lifted up to die all of everyone's sins were heaped upon Jesus. Nothing wasn't unaccounted for.
His knowledge of your life is way more than you will ever know or understand.
"I've carried a burden
For too long on my own
I wasn't created
To bear it alone
I hear Your invitation
To let it all go
Yeah, I see it now
I'm laying it down
And I know that I need You
I run to the Father
I fall into grace
I'm done with the hiding
No reason to wait
My heart needs a surgeon
My soul needs a friend
So I'll run to the Father
Again and again
And again and again"
- Cody Carnes 2020 "Run to the Father"
He always has already known.
He is waiting just for you.
His love for you will bring the healing you long for and have been unable to find in this world.
He chose to love you and I from the inside out in order for truth to be fully revealed and that nothing would be misunderstood.
He is the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father but through Jesus Christ. There's no other way to escape the penalty of death for sins but salvation in Christ Jesus. Eternity is a very long time to have made the wrong decision to say no to Jesus in horrific unending pain and suffering. That's the judgment of the Court of God towards all who rejected the offer of salvation through Jesus Christ.
He is ready to forgive you.
He is ready to save you.
All NASB 1995 and NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission. (C) Lockman Foundation.
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